By Carolyn Kosowan – Creston, B.C.
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Fergie the cat lives in our neighbourhood with his family. There is mom, dad, and kids, Isabella, Jefferson and Zoey. Lately, he also has another cat friend living with him. Fergie is somewhat of a neighbourhood ambassador.
When spring came one year and we were leaving the front door open, I could hear what sounded like a cat meowing, but there was just one problem: we did not have a cat.
I looked for where the sound was coming from and as I passed the front door, I saw two furry paws at the bottom of the window and a furry face meowing insistently at me.
He wasn’t angry or afraid. When I stood and talked to him a bit, with him inserting meows at all the right places he seemed quite pleased. When I’d had enough and my work drew me back, he meowed a few more times and reluctantly went away.
“What is Sue, chopped liver?”
One cold day in March, I came home about noon and saw him two doors down and across the street at the end of his driveway. I naturally hollered, “Hi Fergie!”
He came leaping and bounding through the water and ice and gave me a vigorous rubbing of the legs, meowing all the while. Another neighbour arrived home and we chatted across the street from each other as it was much too icy and wet to cross and stand together.
After a while I said to Fergie, “What is Sue, chopped liver? You haven’t even given her a glance.”
With that he bounded across the road, rubbed her up well, and then returned to me, meowing cheerfully. What a cat! He brought big smiles to our faces that day.
When Bob is working in the yard, it is not uncommon for Fergie to come over and meow at him, rub up against his legs, and pretty much demand a little direct attention before he runs off to hunt or play.
As I was returning home a few weeks ago, I saw the most amazing procession. Isabella, 12, was walking with purpose along the sidewalk. Ten feet behind her walked Zoey, age 5, not straying an inch, and striding down the street behind her older sister.
Most unique parade
Thirty feet behind her was Fergie, no meandering or sidetracking, completely focused carefully in walking directly behind Zoey. Ten feet behind him was his friend, a smaller cat, similar markings and similarly marching directly behind Fergie in perfect formation!
This procession reached the corner and made a perfect 90-degree turn onto the cross street – first Isabella, then Zoey, and then amazingly Fergie and his friend.
My husband and I still laugh when we think of that most unique parade right down our own street!
The most recent episode with Fergie occurred around the events of our purchase of a new car, a subsequent accident resulting in a loaner for a few days, then back to our new car.
It was busy and stressful times and on top of that, I had just had surgery. Fergie came to the rescue though and provided some much-needed levity.
One morning we saw him inspecting the loaner car. He went from wheel to wheel, carefully sniffing out the car and making some investigative deductions.
His body language said, “This is not the right car and I really don’t like this make and model.” The car stayed until our new car was repaired, but Fergie was not pleased with it.
When we got our car back on Friday, we weren’t sure if Fergie noticed, but the following Wednesday, we got our answer.
Bob was walking through the living room and looking outside when he started calling me to come urgently. I looked out the window and saw what the commotion was about. There was Fergie, curled up and sound asleep, exactly in the middle of the roof of the car.
I still laugh when I think about it!
